The Cupertino Courier

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Dinnertime burglaries begin again, police say

Singling out Asians, Indians seems to be part of pattern

By HUGH BIGGAR

The dinnertime bandit could still be lurking, and looking for more than a snack.

A burglar entered a residence on Merritt Drive through an unlocked window June 16 about 7:30 p.m. and took $3,825 in jewelry and cash. The thief, or possibly thieves, entered the unoccupied home by prying the screen off an unlocked window and sliding it open. The residence was searched, and four gold bangles, one gold chain and other items were taken.

The timing of the crime and the items taken resemble a pattern common to a series of jewelry robberies in the area over the last few years.

In addition to a pattern of striking unoccupied homes during the early evening hours, police say the burglaries also typically target the homes of Indian-Americans, Asians and South Asians. The crimes date back to the 1990s and a spike in burglaries last year lead to a reward being offered for any tips. The reward, contributed by three Cupertino residents, currently is $3,000.

"The numbers are down compared to last year, but people still have to be careful," said Capt. John Hirokawa of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office Westside Substation, which polices Cupertino.

Hirokawa said there had been about 14 burglaries this year that fit the pattern, compared to 48 overall in 2005. He also said other communities in the South Bay, including Sunnyvale and Milpitas, had experienced similar crimes this year, particularly in May.

Even with increased police monitoring of neighborhoods, Hirokawa said there have been few leads.

"We are still not sure how the houses are being identified, though detectives have theories about some sort of surveillance going on," Hirokawa said. He also said community involvement continues to be critical to nabbing

those responsible for the burglaries. As a part of that effort, the Westside substation held a forum on the burglaries last November.

"Usually someone catches the perpetrators in the act," Hirokawa said. "They then call it in [to the substation]; that's usually how these things work. But we haven't had one call of suspicious activity."

Hirokawa finds that surprising given the increased police presence in neighborhoods, which includes plain-clothes officers on bicycles and undercover officers cruising streets in unmarked cars--the type of activity that might arouse suspicion.

"With all of that effort we still haven't have any leads, " he said, while adding police will be especially vigilant during months that experienced high numbers of burglaries last year.

He said residents should be sure to report any unusual activities and take the proper precautions to prevent break-ins. "We only have so many resources," he said.

Steps you can take

Cupertino's Neighborhood Watch Program recommends the following prevention tips:

Put valuables in a safe that's fastened to the floor, if possible.

Use an alarm.

When leaving a residence, leave the lights on and make it look occupied.

Use exterior motion-sensor lights.

Make sure all doors and windows are locked.

Let neighbors know when you are leaving town.